Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master

Rhodes blinked, thinking he'd misheard the dragon. He stared blankly.

Seeing him hesitate, the Infernal Dragon narrowed its vertical pupils. "What are you looking at?"

"Looking at you..." Rhodes almost said it, then quickly corrected himself. "Looking at how different you are from the Mountain Dragon."

"Different? A dragon's a dragon, mouth, eyes, four legs. Stop wasting time," the Infernal Dragon huffed. "The Mountain said you're not built for endurance. So while you still have some juice, come punch me. I want to see your level. No holding back. Give me everything you've got."

Not durable? In front of my fiancée?

Rhodes immediately activated the Mountain Dragon Soul and, just to be sure, summoned the Brambleback to grant himself a buff.

"You said it! You asked for it!"

Rhodes had already figured it out. If the Mountain Dragon was calm and a bit proud, this Infernal Dragon was like a brash older brother who loved direct challenges.

Since it came out full force, he'd respond in kind.

With a burst of strength in his legs and his wings flaring behind him, Rhodes rocketed toward the Infernal Dragon's head like a blazing meteor.

His right fist grew in size, swelling to the size of a cauldron lid, crackling with brute force as it hurtled forward with the power to level mountains.

"Hey, hey! What're you calling that thing for?!"

The Infernal Dragon's eyes widened when it saw Brambleback. Too late to retreat, too proud to dodge or counter, it clenched its jaw and braced for impact.

BOOM!

The punch slammed into the Infernal Dragon's forehead like a boulder crashing into molten lava. Flames erupted from the impact, scattering sparks that hardened mid-air before dropping like glowing iron shards, quickly cooling into fist-sized stones.

The Infernal Dragon's massive head rocked backward from the force, and Rhodes, wings spread, flipped away and landed at a distance.

He shook out his arm as charred stone peeled from his hand. But beneath it, his fist was completely unharmed.

In a mock-serious tone, Rhodes echoed the dragon's earlier challenge. "Well? Was that fun?"

"Amazing, brother! That punch was something else!"

The Infernal Dragon gave his head a shake, thoroughly impressed. That wasn't just fun, it was exhilarating.

This guy was legit. He'd followed orders, hit hard, but still held back enough not to cause real injury. Bold, yet considerate. The Infernal Dragon liked that.

"But brother," the dragon said with genuine feeling, "Next time, don't use that tree thing when you're sparring with your own people. That hurt."

"Got it. So… is there going to be a next time?"

"Oh, definitely. When I'm feeling twitchy, I might come out just to scrap with you. Once you've gotten used to me, I'll introduce you to the others."

With a casual flick of its claw, a blazing red orb shot out from the Infernal Dragon and sank into Rhodes' chest.

Rhodes sensed the connection and realized it was the Infernal Dragon Soul.

"Alright, I'm heading back. But if there's ever a fight, call me. I don't know much, but I love brawling."

Its body shimmered and began to fade, but the dragon's voice lingered.

"Oh, and next time, just call me directly. That long chant of yours stresses me out."

Once the Infernal Dragon vanished, Rhodes dismissed the Brambleback.

Then, placing his hands against the scorched earth, he raised a ring of stone around the area to contain the flames and prevent them from spreading further.

He estimated the height looked about right, then asked the Blue Sentinel to bring Mira over to him. Once she was safe at his side, he focused and carefully collapsed the surrounding rock wall inward, burying the flames and sealing off the lava.

"Whew..." Rhodes let out a relieved breath as his body returned to its normal state.

Mira hopped down and took his arm, eyeing him with concern. "Are you tired?"

Rhodes shook his head. "Nope. I've got excellent stamina."

Mira didn't quite get why he had to be so stubborn about it. "This dragon seemed easier to communicate with than the last."

"Maybe I've gotten stronger... or maybe it's just his personality."

The Mountain Dragon had let him touch its tail reluctantly before slipping the Dragon Soul to him without a word.

The Purgatory Dragon, on the other hand, had demanded a punch to test his strength, then immediately declared him a brother and casually passed on the Dragon Soul.

Getting a Dragon Soul by beating up a dragon, Rhodes mused that it did feel a lot like a video game mechanic, even if he didn't actually kill anything.

"I'll show you my new form later!"

He might've hidden it from others, but when it came to Mira, Rhodes couldn't wait to show off.

Like a peacock spreading its tail.

But Mira didn't need the flash.

"Let's head back and rest. It's getting late."

"I'm not tired."

"You're leaning on me if you're not tired."

"Tired or not, I still want to lean on you."

Mira said nothing more, because she liked it too.

She lifted Rhodes' arm and draped it around her neck, then wrapped an arm around his waist to help guide him up onto the sentinel's shoulder.

The sentinel squatted and offered its hand as a platform, letting the two of them step onto its palm before gently raising them.

Mira gave its solid, stony head a pat. "Take us home."

But the sentinel turned its glowing blue eyes toward Rhodes, silently waiting for his nod before moving.

"It'll cast blue buff on me automatically, but won't listen to anything else," Mira muttered, puzzled by its logic.

She tried a different approach. "Do you like to eat anything?"

The sentinel shook its head. It didn't eat.

Of all Rhodes' summoned creatures, only Warm seemed to have an appetite. The rest could apparently live off thin air, which Mira found endlessly baffling.

Once his magic had nearly recovered, Rhodes swapped out the sentinel with scuttle river.

The sentinel was simply too large and would draw too much attention rumbling through the city. The crab, on the other hand, had a wide, steady back, perfect for Mira to lie comfortably in his arms, and for him to rest his head in her lap.

Of course, it was impossible for Rhodes to stay still for long. He fidgeted restlessly, and his hands kept wandering.

Mira's face turned red. "You're misbehaving again."

"No one can see us, and we're engaged," Rhodes murmured, letting his hand drift upward.

He had held back earlier while they were out on business, but now that they were heading home, he couldn't suppress his impulses anymore.

"That still doesn't make it okay. We're outside."

"Alright, alright." Rhodes sat up with exaggerated innocence and gave the crab's antenna a quiet tug, guiding it back toward his house.

Mira knew exactly what was going through his mind, and her thoughts became tangled. She wanted to protest… but also didn't want to.

As they arrived outside Rhodes' home, she bit her lip and leaned in, whispering shyly in his ear, "At most… only like that day."

Rhodes' breath caught. He could go slow. Step by step was just fine.

"Do you realize how dangerous you are right now?" he teased.

"Huh?"

Before she could react, Rhodes scooped her into his arms and carried her up the stairs.

There were a few flustered but sweet moments after that, not too far, but enough to make Mira gasp and blush before she tried to escape.

This time, Rhodes gently pulled her into a firm embrace before she could flee.

Mira buried her face in his chest, still crimson. "I really should go back."

"Nope."

"But you already… I mean…"

"Now it's my turn to take care of you," Rhodes said softly as he leaned in and kissed her, his arms tightening protectively around her.

Mira murmured something in protest, but her voice faded into a quiet sigh.

...

Bonus @1200

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